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Scary statistics

To fully understand the potential damage too much sun can cause, take a look at these statistics.

• Even one or two blistering sunburns can significantly increase a child's risk for developing melanoma/skin cancer later in life.

• One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

• Skin cancer kills one American every hour.

• The sunburn you receive this week may take 20 years or more to become skin cancer.

• You can get sunburned through your clothes.

• The principal cause of skin cancer is almost universally accepted by medical experts to be overexposure to sunlight, especially when it results in sunburn and blistering.

• Fair-skinned people who’ve had lots of sun exposure tend to show signs of photodamage earlier.

Smart sun moves »

Information gathered from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the American Cancer Society (ACS).